A female teacher at a government girls’ school in Himachal Pradesh has been booked for cruelty to children after she allegedly ordered a student to slap her classmates for giving incorrect answers, police said on Tuesday.
The case was filed based on a complaint from a 10-year-old student, who reported the incident and expressed fear over the teacher’s behavior. The police have registered a case under Section 115(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (voluntarily causing hurt) and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (cruelty to children).
Student Forced to Punish Peers
According to the complaint, the incident occurred on Monday afternoon when the teacher tested the class on the meanings of Sanskrit words assigned for memorization. While the complainant, who also serves as the class monitor, gave the correct answer, 10-12 other students failed to do so.
The teacher allegedly ordered the monitor to slap those who failed to answer correctly. The student, reluctant to comply, lightly slapped her classmates. However, the teacher was not satisfied and allegedly hit the monitor herself before instructing her to slap the others harder.
“You are the class monitor, you do not even know how to slap,” the teacher reportedly scolded.
Fear Among Students
The complainant also stated that two other students who answered correctly were slapped by the teacher. The student expressed fear over the teacher’s actions and claimed that she often says, “You can say whatever you want to your parents, no one can do anything to me.”
Legal Action and Investigation
Following the complaint, the police have initiated an investigation into the matter. Authorities have assured that strict action will be taken if the allegations are proven.
Incidents of corporal punishment in schools continue to raise serious concerns about child safety and mental well-being, prompting calls for stricter enforcement of child protection laws in educational institutions.
Sources By Agencies
